Batty For Halloween
Bats are beautiful creatures, and I’m glad we get to include them in all things Halloween!
Did you know that in Britain we have 18 species of bat!
One of the most common breeds, and the one you have probably seen flittering around at dusk, is the Common Pipistrelle, which weigh around just 5 grams - the same as a 20p piece!
A single pipistrelle bat can eat 3,000 tiny insects in just one night, so they may be small but they have a fierce appetite!
Most bats in the UK evolved to roost in trees. Around three quarters of British bat species are known to roost in trees. The remaining species tend to favour human-made structures because of a lack of suitable and available tree habitat. ... In winter, they might move deeper and lower into the tree to hibernate.
To help protect bats and help them thrive, you can :
Plant night-scented flowers.
Build a pond.
Let your garden go a little wild.
Put up a bat box.
Create linear features i.e hedgerows/treelines
Reduce or remove artificial lighting.
Keep cats indoors at night.
Let me know if you have spotted any bats in YOUR gardens!